View source for Isle of Axholme

{{Short description|Region on the border of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire in England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
[[File:All_Saints'_church,_Belton_-_geograph.org.uk_-_240669.jpg|thumb|350px|All Saints' Church in [[Belton, North Lincolnshire|Belton]], Isle of Axholme]]
[[File:Isle of Axholme cropped.png|thumb|250px|The Isle of Axholme, from a map of the [[Kingdom of Lindsey]] during the 7th century AD]]
The '''Isle of Axholme''' is an area of [[Lincolnshire]], England, adjoining [[South Yorkshire]] and the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]]. It is located between [[Scunthorpe]] and [[Gainsborough, Lincolnshire|Gainsborough]], both of which are in the traditional [[West Riding of Lindsey]], and [[Doncaster]], in South Yorkshire.

==Description==
The name ''Isle'' is given to the area since, prior to the area being drained by the Dutchman [[Cornelius Vermuyden]] in the 17th century, each town or village was built on areas of dry, raised ground in the surrounding marshland. The [[River Don, South Yorkshire|River Don]] used to flow to the north and west (it has since been diverted), dividing the Isle from [[Yorkshire]]; the [[River Idle]] separates the Isle from [[Nottinghamshire]]; and the [[River Trent]] separates the Isle from the rest of Lincolnshire. Three towns developed here: [[Epworth, Lincolnshire|Epworth]], [[Crowle, Lincolnshire|Crowle]] and [[Haxey]].

The boundaries of the Isle of Axholme usually match with those of the ancient ''[[wapentake]]'' of Epworth<ref>{{cite web |title=Hundred of Epworth |url=https://opendomesday.org/hundred/epworth/ |website=Domesday Book |publisher=opendomesday.org |access-date=31 January 2022}}</ref> and its 17 communities as listed in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086: [[Belton, North Lincolnshire|Belton]], Crowle, Epworth, Haxey, [[Beltoft]], (High and Low) Burnham, [[Owston Ferry]], [[East Lound|(East) Lound]] and [[Graizelound|(Graise)lound]], [[Garthorpe, North Lincolnshire|Garthorpe]], [[Luddington, North Lincolnshire|Luddington]], [[Amcotts]], [[West Butterwick|(West) Butterwick]], [[Althorpe]], The Marshes, [[Waterton, Lincolnshire|Waterton]], Upperthorpe, and [[Westwoodside]]. Other settlements on the Isle include [[Eastoft]], [[Sandtoft, Lincolnshire|Sandtoft]] – home to Europe's largest [[The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft|trolleybus museum]] – and [[Wroot]].

Much of the northern part of the Isle has flat topography, with rich farmland used mainly to grow wheat and sugar beet. The land is particularly fertile due to its history of annual flooding from the Trent and peat soil which was created by dense ancient woodland which covered much of the Isle. Even today, in many parts of the northern Isle, petrified wood can be found at about six feet below ground; relics from this woodland, these are locally called "bog oaks".

A long-distance walking route, the "Peatlands Way", traverses the Isle.<ref name="ldwa">{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Peatlands Way |url=https://ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Peatlands+Way |website=www.ldwa.org.uk |publisher=Long Distance Walkers Association |access-date=31 January 2022}}</ref><ref name="peatlands">{{cite web |title=The Peatlands Way |url=https://thepeatlandsway.com/ |website=thepeatlandsway.com |access-date=31 January 2022}}</ref>

==Etymology==
''Axholme'' means "island by [[Haxey]]", from the town name + [[Old Norse language|Old Norse]] ''holmr'' "island". The name was recorded as ''Hakirhomle'' in 1196. The Old English suffix "ey" in "Haxey" also indicates an island.

==Historical descriptions==
===1833 description===
{{Blockquote|''Axholme, Isle of'' Area of slight elevation above flat and formerly marshy tract bounded by the Rivers Trent, Torne and Idle. Towns include Crowle, [[Belton, North Lincolnshire|Belton]],  [[Epworth, Lincolnshire|Epworth]] and Haxey on higher ground and Owston Ferry and [[West Butterwick]] beside the River Trent|''Bartholomew's Gazetteer of Britain'' compiled by Oliver Mason (John Bartholomew, 1833)}}

===1911 description===
{{Blockquote|'''AXHOLME,''' an island in the north-west part of Lincolnshire, England, lying between the rivers Trent, Idle and Don, and isolated by drainage channels connected with these rivers. It consists mainly of a plateau of slight elevation, rarely exceeding 100 ft., and comprises the parishes of Althorpe, Belton, Epworth, Haxey, Luddington, Owston and Crowle; the total area being about 47,000 acres.|{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Axholme|volume=3|page=68|noicon=y|short=y}}}}

==Land drainage history==
[[File:"A true and perfect Plot of Hatfield Chase, in the Counties of York, Lincoln, and Nottingham as surveyed by Josias Acerlebout." (1662).jpg|thumb|"A true and perfect Plot of Hatfield Chase, in the Counties of York, Lincoln, and Nottingham as surveyed by Josias Acerlebout." from "The history of imbanking and drayning" by [[William Dugdale]] (1662).]]
The Isle is known for the early influence of [[Cornelius Vermuyden]], a Dutch engineer who initiated the realignment of several of the [[highland carrier]]s flowing through the district. To carry out the work he brought in a large number of [[Flemish people|Flemish]] workers, many of whom settled permanently despite violent opposition from the established population.<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Axholme|volume=3|page=68}}</ref> The drainage allowed increased agricultural production, and has left a legacy in the unique strip farming which survives in the 21st century around Epworth. The watercourses of the Isle and the surrounding area are managed by the Isle of Axholme [[Internal Drainage Board]] which maintains 188 miles (302&nbsp;km) of watercourse and 18 pumping stations,<ref>[http://www.ioaidb.co.uk/ Isle of Axholme Internal Drainage Board website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004041607/http://www.ioaidb.co.uk/ |date=4 October 2011 }}</ref> and manages the water levels of the adjacent [[Thorne and Hatfield Moors|Thorne Moors]] and Hatfield Moors, both environmentally sensitive areas.

==Road and railway==
The [[Axholme Joint Railway]] traversed the area, but the line has now been abandoned. There are still railway stations in {{stnlnk|Crowle}} and {{stnlnk|Althorpe}} on the line between Scunthorpe and Sheffield. The [[M180 motorway]] now crosses the centre of the area, dividing 'South Axholme', centred on Epworth, from 'North Axholme', centred on Crowle. The [[A161 road]] crosses the Isle from north to south.

==Governance==
There was an [[Isle of Axholme Rural District]] from 1894 to 1974, which covered the entire Isle after 1936. This became part of the [[Boothferry (district)|Boothferry]] district of [[Humberside]] in 1974, and since 1996 has been in the [[North Lincolnshire]] unitary authority.

Following boundary changes in 2023, the isle became part of the new [[Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (UK Parliament constituency)|Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme]] parliamentary constituency in 2024.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite web|last=Fotheringham|first=Michael John|title=The isle of Axeholme|url=http://www.isleofaxholme.co.uk/|access-date=27 October 2013}}
*{{cite web|title=The Isle of Axeholme|url=http://www.isleofaxholme.net/about-the-isle-of-axholme.html|publisher=Axeholme Informer|access-date=27 October 2013|archive-date=29 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200431/http://www.isleofaxholme.net/about-the-isle-of-axholme.html|url-status=dead}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Isle of Axholme}}
*[http://news.axholme.info An Isle of Axholme News Site]
*[http://www.isleofaxholme.co.uk/ History of the Isle of Axholme]
*[http://www.axholme.info Isle of Axholme information site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111004041607/http://www.ioaidb.co.uk/ Isle of Axholme Internal Drainage Board website]
*[http://www.crowle.org/ History of the northern area of the Isle of Axholme ]
*[http://www.eastoftcommunity.info/ Eastoft - Gateway to the Isle of Axholme ]
*{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Axholme |year=1905 |short=x}}

{{Coord|53.50|-0.86|type:landmark_dim:15000_region:GB|display=title}}

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{{Lincolnshire|state=collapsed}}
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[[Category:Geography of Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:Former islands of England]]